BJP-JD(S) week-long protest seeking CM’s resignation ends with rally

Mysuru (Karnataka): The week-long protest march by the combined opposition of BJP and JD(S), demanding the resignation of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam’, culminated here on Saturday with a mega rally, where both parties vowed to continue their agitation until the CM steps down.

Leaders of both parties asserted that they will work together to bring BJP-JD(S) back to power in Karnataka, by uprooting the 'corrupt' Congress from power.

The Bengaluru-Mysuru padayatre (foot march) had sought to highlight the alleged fraudulent allotment of sites to land losers by MUDA, including to Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi, and to corner the Congress government led by him.

On the eighth and final day of the 'Mysuru Chalo' protest march today, leaders and workers of both parties led by BJP State President and MLA B Y Vijayendra and JD(S) leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy, walked the last stretch from Ramaswamy circle here to reach Maharaja’s College Grounds, where a mega valedictory rally was organised.

Veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa, JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, BJP national General Secretary Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, Vijayendra, Leader of Opposition in Assembly R Asoka, former CMs Basavaraj Bommai and Sadananda Gowda, several legislators, MPs, leaders and workers from both parties took part in the rally.

The ruling Congress on Friday had hosted a mega “Janandolana” convention in the same venue in support of Siddaramaiah, and to counter the opposition’s allegations and their foot march.

Accusing Siddaramaiah and his government of indulging in 'loot' and 'daylight robbery', Yediyurappa told the gathering, "Siddaramaiah has asked me to retire from public life. Mr Siddaramaiah, I will remain in public life till my last breath and will fight until I send you home. Don't have any doubt about it."

With this CM and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, development of the state is impossible, he said. "BJP and JD(S) have come together, your (Congress) sins have reached the peak... people of the state will send you home at the earliest. If you have courage, dissolve the Assembly and face polls, show your strength. If elections are held today, the BJP and JD(S) will come to power."

In his address, Kumaraswamy said the BJP and JD(S) are together in the fight to remove the corrupt government, in the interest of the state. "This fight won't stop here, it will continue until this government comes on the right track or it is removed. We are taking it as a challenge and we will continue our fight against this corrupt government."

Noting that the opposition was not against CM's wife, he said, "What we are questioning is how the sites were given illegally to her... also the 3.16 acres of land, in lieu of which Siddaramaiah's wife was given 14 sites, actually belongs to MUDA and not her. How did your brother-in-law (CM wife's brother) purchase the MUDA land and then do the gift deed of it to your wife? You (CM) might not have signed any documents, but all these illagallites have happened under your nose."

The JD(S) leader who is engaged in a bitter verbal spat with Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar over each other's assets and the scams they are allegedly involved in, said he was ready for a discussion on it. "...don't worry, I'm ready for everything...."

Vijayendra accused the CM and his government of trying to 'threaten' the opposition with false corruption charges and said, "I challenge you, if you have courage come and prove your allegations of scams against us."

"CM's wife has illegally got 14 sites by MUDA, this is part of a scam worth over Rs 5,000 crore... the 3.16 acres of land that CM's brother-in-law purchased and did a gift deed of it to his sister (Siddaramaiah's wife) is illegal. So the 14 sites she got in lieu of this 3.16 acres of land is also illegal," he said, while targeting the government over the state-run Valmiki ST development corporation scam.

In the MUDA 'scam', it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by the MUDA.

The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where MUDA developed a residential layout.

Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residential layouts.

Opposition and some activists have also claimed that the Parvathi had no legal title over 3.16 acres of land.

The Congress government on July 14 constituted a single member inquiry commission under former High Court Judge Justice P N Desai to probe the MUDA 'scam'.

Based on a petition filed by advocate-activist T J Abraham, Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot had issued "showcause notice" on July 26 directing the Chief Minister to submit his reply to the allegations against him within seven days as to why permission for prosecution should not be granted against him.

The Karnataka government on August 1 "strongly advised" the Governor to withdraw his "showcause notice" to the Chief Minister, and alleged "gross misuse of the Constitutional Office '' of the Governor.